Chapter 14 Anecdotes about Deng Xiaoping after his comeback

I served in a certain unit in the Beijing Garrison from 1971 to 1978.Experienced the ups and downs of Comrade Deng Xiaoping's two comebacks and his dismissal in the middle, and heard and witnessed him taking China's prosperity as his own responsibility, forgetting to eat and sleep to participate in various major state affairs activities.Today, I will collect some of what I have seen and heard, to remember the demeanor of the great man, and to commemorate the great achievements of the chief architect of China's reform and opening up. After the Lin Biao incident occurred on September 13, 1971, Mao Zedong had a new understanding and evaluation of some generals who had followed him through life and death but were persecuted by the Lin Biao clique, and accelerated the questioning, liberation and use of these old comrades. After the death of Marshal Chen Yi on January 6, 1972, Mao Zedong's personal participation in Comrade Chen Yi's memorial service was a kind of comfort and affirmation to the old revolutionaries who were persecuted during the "Cultural Revolution".

In Beijing in February 1973, although the spring was cold and cold, there was already a slight breath of spring after all. On February 20, at the suggestion of Premier Zhou Enlai and with the approval of Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping, who had lost all his posts since the beginning of the "Cultural Revolution" in 1966, returned to Beijing from Jiangxi.Just 20 days after Deng Xiaoping returned to Beijing, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made the "Decision on Resuming Comrade Deng Xiaoping's Party Organizational Life and the Position of Vice-Premier of the State Council" on March 10.I remember that before the troops studied this decision, they also studied and discussed an important instruction of Chairman Mao on resuming Comrade Deng Xiaoping's post. One of them is the leader of the so-called Mao faction.He has no historical issues, i.e., did not surrender to the enemy.He was effective in assisting Comrade Liu Bocheng in the war and had military exploits.He led a delegation to Moscow for negotiations and did not succumb to Soviet revisionism.This is the first time I have heard Chairman Mao's official evaluation of Comrade Deng Xiaoping. On April 12, 1973, at the grand banquet held in the Great Hall of the People to welcome Prince Sihanouk, the head of state of Cambodia, and his wife back to Beijing from the Liberated Areas of Cambodia, Deng Xiaoping met with Prince Sihanouk as a vice premier with a happy face.This is Deng Xiaoping's first public appearance in 6 years, indicating Comrade Xiaoping's official comeback.I heard from the soldiers who carried out this temporary mission outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People that I came back and said: When Deng Xiaoping got out of the car and went up the steps of the Great Hall of the People, his steps were light, as if he was a young man, and he climbed up, full of energy and radiant. .This is the first time I have heard comrades talk about Comrade Xiaoping.Except for the cadres, it was the first time for the soldiers to see Comrade Deng Xiaoping during the activity of executing the head of the security central committee, so they felt rather novel.

From August 24 to 28, 1973, the Tenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in the Great Hall of the People.At that time, such a conference was held in strict secrecy.During the mobilization of the guards, the comrades who participated in this task were required to keep their mouths shut.In order to confuse foreign journalists, especially to prevent foreign spies from collecting intelligence on the conference, the central government required participants to enter and exit the conference through relatively hidden passages, and specially opened the "Ten Ten" at the same time, A number of community group meetings were arranged in the Great Hall.I remember that the weather was extremely hot at that time. When my comrades and I performed the task of controlling the commanding heights, we were sweating on the roof of the building without shade, and our military uniform was soaked in a short while.Looking down from the air, I can see rows of large sedan cars parked outside the east gate of the Great Hall every day to pick up and drop off people attending social group meetings.Foreign reporters peeped back and forth outside the cordon, trying to find some clues, but they always felt that the people attending the meeting did not seem to be attending a particularly important meeting.It was not until our country publicly reported the grand occasion of this conference that foreigners knew the inside story and were very shocked.At the meeting, although Deng Xiaoping was only elected as a member of the Central Committee, it showed that he had been promoted again in the political life of the party after his comeback.

During the year of 1974, Deng Xiaoping met with Premier Zhou Enlai and many other foreign dignitaries, including the chairman of the Thai Olympic Committee and Tanzanian President Nyerere, as a vice premier. His flexible and funny diplomatic style and resolute personality won many Good reviews from foreign heads of state.Especially on April 6 of this year, the Chinese delegation headed by him attended the sixth special session of the United Nations General Assembly. Like a stone, it stirred up a thousand waves and had an extraordinary impact in China and the world.When leaving Beijing, Premier Zhou, Ye Jianying and other party and state leaders saw him off at the airport.As Comrade Deng Xiaoping's bodyguard, a security staff officer of our regiment went to New York on the same plane to be responsible for the security work of Comrade Deng Xiaoping's attendance at the UN General Assembly.In his speech at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly, Deng Xiaoping comprehensively expounded the "Three Worlds" theory, which was warmly welcomed by representatives of many countries, especially developing countries.On October 4 of this year, Chairman Mao once again proposed that Deng Xiaoping be the first vice premier of the State Council.In November of the same year, Premier Zhou wrote a letter supporting Chairman Mao's proposal to let Deng Xiaoping be the first deputy premier and chief of the general staff.This was a careful choice made by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai based on the actual situation in China at that time.

In January 1975, the Second Plenary Session of the Tenth CPC Central Committee and the First Session of the Fourth National People's Congress were held in Beijing.These two meetings brought Comrade Deng Xiaoping's political career to its peak.He served as vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, first vice premier of the State Council, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and chief of staff, integrating the party, government and army.With the support of Chairman Mao and entrusted by the Party Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping presided over the daily work of the Party and government after Premier Zhou was hospitalized.In order to realize the goal of building a strong socialist country and improving the national economy within the 20th century, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, with his outstanding courage, began to rectify all aspects of work.

On April 18, 1975, Kim Il Sung, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, led a delegation of the Korean party and government to visit China.Comrade Deng Xiaoping greeted Kim Il Sung at the station on behalf of Chairman Mao Zedong, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government.Hundreds of thousands of people in the capital sang and danced to welcome the distinguished guests from North Korea.Tiananmen Square is a sea of ​​joy.On the basis of strengthening the security of various police stations in front of Tiananmen Square, our ministry has transferred certain personnel to participate in the temporary security mission of the North Korean delegation.During this security mission in plain clothes, I saw Comrade Deng Xiaoping up close for the first time.

On September 9, 1975, Prince Sihanouk and Prince Binnu, old friends of the Chinese people, were returning to their homeland after living in China for nearly six years.Khmer Rouge leaders Khieu Samphan and Ing Sally also made a special trip from Cambodia to welcome the two princes back home.People in the capital held a grand farewell ceremony in Tiananmen Square.Deng Xiaoping, Zhang Chunqiao, and Li Xiannian accompanied Prince Sihanouk, Prince Binnu, and Deputy Prime Minister Khieu Samphan, respectively, to drive around the square in an open-top red-flag car to meet with the crowd.Afterwards, the Chinese and Cambodian leaders got off the open-top red-flag car parked at the north gate of the Chinese Revolution Museum and changed to a red-flag car heading to the airport.Due to the large number of people, I saw that Mrs. Binnu almost took the wrong car, and I also saw Sihanouk, who was very excited, nodded and bowed to us security staff before changing cars, fully expressing the country's headless attitude towards the Chinese people. Sincere thanks.Comrade Deng Xiaoping's capable demeanor in this foreign affairs activity once again left a deep impression on me, which is still unforgettable to this day.

When Deng Xiaoping presided over the daily work of the party and government, we often saw him busy day and night, sometimes coming out of the Great Hall of the People at three or four o'clock in the morning. Entering the spring of 1976, the capital Beijing was still a bit chilly. On March 3, a sudden counterattack against the rightist and anti-crime trend was directed at Deng Xiaoping. On April 7, the day after the Tiananmen incident, Deng Xiaoping was dismissed from all his posts in the Party, government, and military. History seems to seek justice for Deng Xiaoping again. One year and three months later, on July 16, 1977, at the Third Plenary Session of the Tenth Central Committee of the Party, Comrade Deng Xiaoping was restored to his original party, government and military positions.

Deng Xiaoping, who came back again, still described the grand blueprint of China's reform and opening up with his broad mind and foresight. On August 30, 1977, Tito, President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Chairman of the Yugoslav Communist Party Central Committee, visited China.A grand welcome ceremony was held in Tiananmen Square.I was on guard duty in the welcome line in civilian clothes.Hua Guofeng accompanied Tito in an open-top red flag car and circled the square to meet the welcoming crowd.In the welcome team, a girl first saw Deng Xiaoping sitting in the red flag car following the convertible, and shouted happily: Deng Xiaoping!Deng Xiaoping!Others shouted after seeing it.It may be that Comrade Xiaoping heard his name being called. I saw him smiling and waving to us frequently.This is the first time I saw his bright smile after his comeback.

After the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall was completed, I was transferred to the outpost of the Memorial Hall to be on duty. On September 9, 1977, a ceremony to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Chairman Mao Zedong and the inauguration of Chairman Mao Memorial Hall was held at the north gate of the Memorial Hall.Deng Xiaoping sat on the rostrum with other central leaders.During this security mission, I saw his steady body from a distance. More than 30 years have passed since the curtain of the past, and it is still fresh in my memory today.